Aircon insights

[WAslayer]

if i the lounge alone im looking at couple K just for this

as it is the aircon budget went up cos i though a 12k will work in my lounge

You don't have to insulate, but it would then mean your aircon is running for longer than it needs to, so using more electricity.. in the long run you will have recouped the insulation in electricity savings..

You also don't need to insulate immediately.. can do it a few months later too..

I will say this though, adding insulation to my house, with no aircon, allowed me to maintain a 7 degree temperature difference between inside and outside, provided I did basic things like closing doors, windows and curtains early enough in the morning on the extremely hot days..

 

[gogga_]

if its the lounge alone im looking at couple K just for this

as it is the aircon budget went up cos i though a 12k will work in my lounge

These guys have lot's of Aircon specials running:

https://acdirect.co.za/product-category/air-conditioning/

 

[WAslayer]

These guys have lot's of Aircon specials running:

https://acdirect.co.za/product-category/air-conditioning/

I wouldn't read too much into those specials.. their specials are pretty much their normal price..

That being said, they are the first place I check aircon pricing, as they tend to be the best priced.. their add-on installation is also convenient and their install team does a good job to boot..

 

[DrJohnZoidberg]

I wouldn't read too much into those specials.. their specials are pretty much their normal price..

That being said, they are the first place I check aircon pricing, as they tend to be the best priced.. their add-on installation is also convenient and their install team does a good job to boot..

The installer I used for my Daikin's was actually cheaper per unit than AC Direct's "special" price.

With installations it was much cheaper than AC Direct would have been.

EDIT: Actually I lied, they overall prices were very similar at the end.

 

[I.am.Sam]

I wouldn't read too much into those specials.. their specials are pretty much their normal price..

That being said, they are the first place I check aircon pricing, as they tend to be the best priced.. their add-on installation is also convenient and their install team does a good job to boot..

yeah if you look across the board there is like a R100 difference between them and other suppliers

 

[I.am.Sam]

The installer I used for my Daikin's was actually cheaper per unit than AC Direct's "special" price.

With installations it was much cheaper than AC Direct would have been.

EDIT: Actually I lied, they overall prices were very similar at the end.

who did you buy from ?

 

[DrJohnZoidberg]

So much for my clever choice going with the Daikin's for Home Assistant compatibility. Even though the integration page specifically states the Wifi module used (BRP069C4x) is on the supported list, the newer firmware removes all local control.

I set up one and it asked me to update the firmware, didn't think much of it at the time but think that's where I went wrong. Going to try and skip the firmware update on the other two and see if that helps.

The only other way to control them is via their Onecta API which is specifically what I didn't want to do.

Last resort will be going the Faikin route which is an ESP32 based solution, but that's an entire project on its own.

So, if you want Home Assistant (local polling) support DO NOT buy Daikin ACs!

 

[I.am.Sam]

You don't have to insulate, but it would then mean your aircon is running for longer than it needs to, so using more electricity.. in the long run you will have recouped the insulation in electricity savings..

You also don't need to insulate immediately.. can do it a few months later too..

I will say this though, adding insulation to my house, with no aircon, allowed me to maintain a 7 degree temperature difference between inside and outside, provided I did basic things like closing doors, windows and curtains early enough in the morning on the extremely hot days..

so my house stays cool except for the lounge which does get more direct sunlight during summer

in winters its not soooo cold

does the insulation help with heat and cold ?

 

[Fuma]

I bought four aircons (two 18000btu Samsungs and two 12000BTU Mideas) from ACDirect over the years. Used their installers on the Midea ones. The Samsungs, I used some guys that install around our area.
I had to wait a few weeks with one aircon because they didn't have stock. I think it was around Dec/Jan. Overall happy with everything

 

[WAslayer]

so my house stays cool except for the lounge which does get more direct sunlight during summer

in winters its not soooo cold

does the insulation help with heat and cold ?

Yes, insulation stops or at least significantly reduces the heat/cold in your roof space from transferring into the room below..

Therefore, if you have heaters or aircons running, they need to work far less to maintain temperature, because they are not also fighting the heat/cold that's being transferred from the roof space..

Even with no aircon/heaters, it will still make a difference to your indoor temps..

 

[DrJohnZoidberg]

who did you buy from ?

Went through a local guy (from Bothasig) who is a buddy with the electrician I'm using.

They did a decent job, and was nice that the electrician and them knew each other so the communicated well.

 

[I.am.Sam]

Went through a local guy (from Bothasig) who is a buddy with the electrician I'm using.

They did a decent job, and was nice that the electrician and them knew each other so the communicated well.

certified guys ?

do you need certified guys for installations ?

for warantee and insurance and all that

 

[Azbubu]

How about this for a small room? Anyone with a defy?

Defy 12000 BTU (DINV120/121) Inverter Air Conditioner - White | Makro

Shop Defy 12000 BTU (DINV120/121) Inverter Air Conditioner - White at Makro. Enjoy secure shopping with 100% reliable delivery, great prices and many ways to pay.

www.makro.co.za

Since no one has experience with Defy, any experience with SirAir?

Sirair Sigma 12000btu Inverter AC – Wifi, Smart +3m pipe kit - Sirair Air conditioners, Heat Pumps & Refrigeration

Sirair Sigma White Inverter Series with Built in Wi-Fi offers smart, efficient climate control with voice assistant compatibility & other technologies.

sirair.co.za

Uses R410A not R32 though.

 

[I.am.Sam]

Since no one has experience with Defy, any experience with SirAir?

Sirair Sigma 12000btu Inverter AC – Wifi, Smart +3m pipe kit - Sirair Air conditioners, Heat Pumps & Refrigeration

Sirair Sigma White Inverter Series with Built in Wi-Fi offers smart, efficient climate control with voice assistant compatibility & other technologies.

sirair.co.za

Uses R410A not R32 though.

just add more money man ...and buy a big one

my buddy has a defy for years i dont know if its good or bad

 

[Azbubu]

just add more money man ...and buy a big one

my buddy has a defy for years i dont know if its good or bad

A big one? Bigger unit or bigger brand? It’s a small room so anything larger than 12000BTU would just be inefficient. And would need to be installed directly to the DB which complicates the installation since the DB is quite far.

As for a bigger brand, this at least has a 5 year warranty and 10 year on the compressor so there’s at least peace of mind for a few years.

 

[I.am.Sam]

A big one? Bigger unit or bigger brand? It’s a small room so anything larger than 12000BTU would just be inefficient. And would need to be installed directly to the DB which complicates the installation since the DB is quite far.

As for a bigger brand, this at least has a 5 year warranty and 10 year on the compressor so there’s at least peace of mind for a few years.

if for a small room buy it and use it

 

[DrJohnZoidberg]

Got my 3 Daikin's all connected to Home Assistant now.

Unfortunately the new firmware that ships with these is cloud only which is really unfortunate and I probably would have not bought them I've I'd known about this.

In a stroke of good luck though, the one (bigger) unit came with the old wifi module that can still be controlled locally, it's still the new model (F-series Sensira) but for some reason it's using a different Wifi configuration to the two smaller models.

Getting these things connected was probably the most complicated and infuriating process I've had with any smart device. I spent like 30 minutes trying to figure out why the set up process wasn't working, until I figured out to use the process for the old wifi module instead of the new one. The others have you do this little dance where you have to open the flap, then close the flap then hold a button down for 5 seconds, etc. etc. It really is a terrible process for such a big brand.

Great seeing how little power these things sip, was like at like 250W with the cooling on for the 9000 BTUs - noting though that it didn't have much to do as the room wasn't that hot but still it's great to see.

 

[DrJohnZoidberg]

Great test for the big aircon today, had the doors open to all the rooms and set it to 21C target. It seems to have overshot a bit and was sitting at 20C for a while and using more power than necessary. Turned it off for a bit and then set it to 22C target which seems to be a more effecient target temp.

 

[HandyTechTipper]

After a lot of thinking... And sweaty days, I decided to go with the Midea Xtreme inverter.
R15k on Takealot today

Midea R32 24000btu Xtreme Inverter Air Conditioner Split System In/outdoor

Takealot.com: Online Shopping | SA's leading online store

South Africa's leading online store. Fast, reliable delivery to your door. Many ways to pay. Shop anything you can imagine: TVs, laptops, cellphones, kitchen appliances, toys, books, beauty & more. Shop the mobile app anytime, anywhere.

www.takealot.com

 

[HandyTechTipper]

I'm in the same boat... Nearly went for the Midea Xtreme based on previous posts on good Home Assistant integration and value for money... I asked Copilot to compare midea with Daikin and Samsung and I now need more $s... Also need $s for installation (plus new separate plug point cost)View attachment 1887861

After a lot of thinking... And sweaty days, I decided to go with the Midea Xtreme inverter.
R15k on Takealot today

Midea R32 24000btu Xtreme Inverter Air Conditioner Split System In/outdoor

Takealot.com: Online Shopping | SA's leading online store

South Africa's leading online store. Fast, reliable delivery to your door. Many ways to pay. Shop anything you can imagine: TVs, laptops, cellphones, kitchen appliances, toys, books, beauty & more. Shop the mobile app anytime, anywhere.

www.takealot.com